Hlaudi Motsoeneng might have to pay back the money, depending on the outcome of an investigation into an R11 million bonus payment he received. Business Day reported on Wednesday that the SABC interim board is now investigating the bonus payment Motsoeneng received for orchestrating the controversial deal with MultiChoice.
Business Day reported that Motsoeneng could be compelled to pay back the money. Motsoeneng was fired from the SABC on Monday after a disciplinary hearing found him guilty of bringing the SABC into disrepute and causing irreparable damage to the public broadcaster. The charges related to his four-hour long press conference on April 19 where he attacked the SABC interim board and defended his 90% local content policy, which has now been rescinded.
The controversial deal cost R533 million and saw MultiChoice being given access to the SABC's entire archive.
On Tuesday, SABC interim board chairwoman Khanyisile Kweyama told Parliament's communications portfolio committee that the bonus and other amounts had been referred to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
Kweyama also reportedly said Motsoeneng would not be paid out any compensation because he was fired for violating the SABC's code of conduct. He will reportedly serve one month's notice before his dismissal becomes effective, during which time he will have to face another disciplinary hearing.
Motsoeneng's bonus payment was initially supposed to be R30 million and was "highly irregular", Kweyama reportedly said. The payment was not ratified by the board and it was seen as a "finders fee".
Communications minister Ayanda Dlodlo reportedly told MPs that bonus payments like this were a problem.
"It started way before Motsoeneng. How do people justify payments of bonuses when performance has been dismal and there are no performance agreements?" she asked.